On 12 November 2020, China Electricity Council (CEC)-International Energy Charter Joint Research Centre held its annual meeting via videoconference. The event brought together the members of the Steering Committee, Academic Board, representatives of CEC along with its member organisations and the Energy Charter Secretariat.
Vice-President and Secretary General of CEC Mr. Yu Chongde and Secretary-General of the International Energy Charter Dr. Urban Rusnák opened the meeting by stressing the...
On 9 November 2020, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) invited the Energy Charter Secretariat to present the third edition of its flagship publication, the Energy Investment Risk Assessment (EIRA). The EIRA report aims to assist policymakers in reducing policy, regulatory and legal risks to investments in the energy sector.
Dr. Ayed S. Al-Qahtani, the Director, Research Division and Chairman of the Academic Committee, opened the session. Mr Leonardo Sempértegui,...
On 3-6 November 2020, the Third Negotiation Round on the modernisation of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) was held by videoconference.[1]
Taking into account the list of agreed topics for modernisation of the ECT (see Conference Decision CCDEC 2018 18) and the suggested policy options (see Conference Decision CCDEC 2019 08), during the Third Negotiation Round held by the Modernisation Group, the following topics were addressed:
On 2 November 2020, the Energy Charter Secretariat and the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan acting as host and co-organizer this year, held in virtual fashion the 16th Meeting of the Taskforce on Regional Energy Cooperation in Central and South Asia. The Taskforce, established in 2007, has been meeting ever since on an annual or biannual basis, gathering power sector professionals from the region and discussing matters related to electricity production, its import and export...
A virtual pre-intersessional meeting for UNCITRAL Working Group III will be held on Monday 9 November 2020 to explore the use of mediation in ISDS. This virtual pre-intersessional meeting discuss (1) overcoming challenges to the use of mediation in ISDS, (2) the multi-tiered dispute resolution process, (3) the hybrid models for resolving international investment disputes, as well as (4) the way forward for mediation as a reform option for ISDS.
Transition to renewables in power generation, transport, heating and cooling: modern challenges and trends” was discussed at the Baku International Energy Charter Forum which was held on 28 October 2020 by the means of a videoconference. The Forum was jointly organized by the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Energy Charter Secretariat. Over 180 participants, including high-level government officials and leading experts from 40 countries, international organisations,...
There is increasing interest in the potential for mediation to resolve Investor-State disputes. This 3-day interactive, practice-based Investor-State Mediator Training, designed jointly by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Mediation Institute (IMI) and the International Energy Charter, will cover the context of investor-State disputes within the ISDS landscape and will provide experienced...
On 13 October 2020, OPEC, Energy Charter Secretariat and OPEC Fund jointly organized a legal workshop titled “Law of the Energy Transition”. This was the second joint event organized as a videoconference, following the very successful first workshop which took place in Vienna, Austria about a year ago.
This year, the workshop focused on legal and regulatory aspects of energy transition and was composed of three principal sessions. The first session has dealt with legal and regulatory...
The Secretary-General of the International Energy Charter is gravely concerned by the escalation of violence between the 2020 and 2021 Chairmanships of the Energy Charter Conference - Azerbaijan and Armenia respectively.
He urges all parties involved to cease hostilities, to act in line with their international commitments and to refrain from any action that could affect critical energy infrastructure or significantly disrupt or interrupt the energy supply.
On 14 October 2020, the Energy Charter Secretariat in cooperation with the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Secretariat organised a technical workshop on the topic of “Perspectives and Challenges of Regional Electricity Markets: Harnessing Trade and Investment Opportunities”. The event brought together over forty government officials and energy experts from eight ECO Member States, international and regional organisations.
The objective of the workshop was to discuss international...
Following the recent initiation of arbitral proceedings in Fin.Doc S.r.l. and others v. Romania and Encavis and others v. Italy, the total number of investment disputes under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) that concern renewable energy sources is now 80 (approx. 60%). Majority of all investment disputes under the Treaty are brought by small or medium enterprises (approx. 60%).
Information about the claims has been compiled on the basis of public sources, including specialised reporting...
On 30th September, Ambassador. Urban Rusnak, the Secretary-General of the Energy Charter Secretariat, received in his office, H.E. Mr. Sadiq AL-RIKABI, the Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq in Brussels. The Secretary-General briefed Mr. Al-RIKABI on the Energy Charter Process and the relations between the Secretariat and the Republic of Iraq which is an Observer country to the Energy Charter Conference since 2016.
The Secretary-General also informed the Ambassador Al-RIKABI about the...
On 7 October 2020 the Energy Charter Secretariat’sKnowledge Centre delivered a virtual training on energy transit for the government officials of Mongolia to support UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific activities to strengthen sub-regional connectivity in East and North-East Asia through effective economic corridor management.
Prior to the training, the Secretariat developed a training module comprising of learning materials, reference reading and case studies on energy...
On 6 October 2020, the Energy Charter Secretariat launched the Energy Investment Risk Assessment 2020 (#EIRA2020), the third edition of its flagship publication. The publication was launched virtually through Zoom. The event was opened by Mr Samir Valiyev, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Vice-Chair of the Energy Charter Conference for 2020.
On 25 September, the Secretary General of the Energy Charter, attended and spoke at a roundtable organized by the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Kingdom of Belgium and devoted to the 25th Anniversary of the Permanent Neutrality of the country. The roundtable discussed the origins, evolution and future of the concept of neutrality in steering Turkmenistan’s foreign policy as well as its various regional and global initiatives, such as those in the areas of trade and investments, energy,...
